I'm not fully a vegetarian but I've toyed with the idea off and on. I've tried it for a few weeks and I felt WONDERFUL but it's hard to stay on it with a meat eating boyfriend whom I live with and a meat eating family who hunts (I don't hunt either, deer remind me of horses).

I know there are probably some hardcore meat eaters here and I don't want to get into the politics of things...I'm just wondering if any of you are and your reasons for it? I just found I feel so much happier and more energetic that way and I just love animals too much. After all, my last name means "animal man" (In a different language of course lol)

I'm a vegetarian. The only one in my family and of my friends and I live with my meat eating boyfriend. I have an awesome mushroom lasagna recipe. I can pm you if you're interested.Posted via Mobile Device

I've been a vegetarian for 6 years, and it works out well - I never miss eating meat at all.
At the time I became a veggie because I didn't want to eat animals, but later I found out more about the industrial way of treating animals, which convinced me even more.
To be honest I really want to become vegan (that is, eating no animal products - no milk, no eggs, etc...), but I haven't gotten around to that yet. It's my goal though.

I'm a veggie too, and this is kind of how it all happened for me too. I never, even as a child liked fish or pork, then lived with a (chef) boyfriend who never ate red meat and I can't cook worth a crap, so I dropped it too. Then all that was left was chicken or turkey, and frankly the change chicken goes through from raw to cooked is pretty gross to me. Bla! The last meat I ever ate was a turkey dog at a ball game 13 years ago. The only thing I missed were the sauces. I LOVE BBQ sauce, wing sauce, A-1, well, you get the idea.... so I figured out a way to put those on what I do eat, and I'm happy as a clam

Like I said, I can't cook worth a darn, and my husband who is strictly meat and potatoes can't either, so I need simple solutions. I eat a LOT of Gardenburgers and Veggie dogs. Gardenburgers are so flexible. My favorite thing at restaurants is to sub the chicken in salads with a veggie burger patty if they have one. When I started doing it, the servers always looked at me silly, but now I think it's common and they don't even bat an eye.

People will ALWAYS give you crap about it, which I think is wierd. Who cares what someone else is eating, ya know? I don't preach at anyone eating meat, ever, and I don't chain myself to cows on the weekends. We have bodies to treat how we want to, and I do much better on this diet than before and am much healthier than I was before. That being said, I understand that it just doesn't work for everyone else, and I don't push my feelings on others. If they ask, like you, I tell them what I think and why, but ultimately, what YOU choose to put in YOUR mouth is YOUR decision. As an added bonus, I can feel good knowing I'm not eating anything that went through a slaughterhouse. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I'm a veggie too, and this is kind of how it all happened for me too. I never, even as a child liked fish or pork, then lived with a (chef) boyfriend who never ate red meat and I can't cook worth a crap, so I dropped it too. Then all that was left was chicken or turkey, and frankly the change chicken goes through from raw to cooked is pretty gross to me. Bla! The last meat I ever ate was a turkey dog at a ball game 13 years ago. The only thing I missed were the sauces. I LOVE BBQ sauce, wing sauce, A-1, well, you get the idea.... so I figured out a way to put those on what I do eat, and I'm happy as a clam

Like I said, I can't cook worth a darn, and my husband who is strictly meat and potatoes can't either, so I need simple solutions. I eat a LOT of Gardenburgers and Veggie dogs. Gardenburgers are so flexible. My favorite thing at restaurants is to sub the chicken in salads with a veggie burger patty if they have one. When I started doing it, the servers always looked at me silly, but now I think it's common and they don't even bat an eye.

People will ALWAYS give you crap about it, which I think is wierd. Who cares what someone else is eating, ya know? I don't preach at anyone eating meat, ever, and I don't chain myself to cows on the weekends. We have bodies to treat how we want to, and I do much better on this diet than before and am much healthier than I was before. That being said, I understand that it just doesn't work for everyone else, and I don't push my feelings on others. If they ask, like you, I tell them what I think and why, but ultimately, what YOU choose to put in YOUR mouth is YOUR decision. As an added bonus, I can feel good knowing I'm not eating anything that went through a slaughterhouse. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Thanks! I agree with everything you just said! It's sad when people have to be so rude when I just asked question but hey, to each their own! And I'm definitely not one of those who would chain myself to a cow (lmao) either but it's awful what they go through and I just find it hard to believe some don't give a second thought to it, but again, to each their own and thanks for your response!

I'm a vegetarian. The only one in my family and of my friends and I live with my meat eating boyfriend. I have an awesome mushroom lasagna recipe. I can pm you if you're interested.Posted via Mobile Device

Actually, I've always wanted to try human meat. However I don't know how that'll ever happen unless I join one of those African tribes that cannibalize. However I'd only try it once, cause of the diseases you can get from human meat. And it's not like I'm going to murder someone to eat them

I'm a vegetarian! And I don't care what anyone says - meat is NOT good for you. Unless you consider obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, alzheimers, etc to be good.

I became a vegetarian because I disagreed with the idea that animals are here for us to use and abuse. I just don't think it's right to kill something so we can eat them. What a waste of a life. Not to mention that the typical meat animal leads a short, awful, tortured life.

I'm sort of almost a Vegan - I only eat humanely farmed (usually Organic) eggs and milk products.

I have been a vegetarian for nearly 4 years now - best 4 years of my life, healthwise. I've never felt better. :) So...go for it, and PLEASE ignore the idiots that will definitely make fun of you for it.

BTW, I'm 17, so I still live with my parents, who are big meat-eaters. My older brother used to be one as well, but I managed to convert him last year. It's not easy to be a vegetarian in a house full of meat-eaters - I think for the first month, all I ate was side dishes while everyone adjusted. Then I sort of took over cooking, and changed the balance so that most of the food was vegetarian, with a meat dish on the side occasionally.

I'm vegan - sort of, I've been vegan - sort of for four years, and vegetarian for the rest of my life. I say vegan sort of because I eat honey and buy leather which apparently isn't vegan at all, but vegetarian isn't quite accurate either.

I don't like how other vegan/vegetarians virtually "attack" people about what they eat, or insist on 'rubbing it in their face' going on about all the terrible stuff. Not only is it not a good way to live life (I think) but it makes a really bad name for the rest of us. I know many people don't care what other people think, and I am all there with you - to an extent.

I meet people and I don't tell them I am vegan until I get to know them, because you could say you're gay and get a better reaction sometimes - people get so defensive expecting me to jump down their throats because apparently that is what others have done to them.

Although, because you asked my opinion, I'll give it to you. No unsolicited opinions on this subject. I don't understand how people who really like animals can eat them. If you really like something that much I can't understand why you would intentionally cause it harm. Killing it is causing it harm, and many of the conditions aren't good, even if the killing is clean and fast, the animals are usually quite terrified. I also believe milk from cows is causing them harm, not so much small scale, but large scale, and I think it leads to harm for calves and such. Its not a blameless industry. I don't really have issues with ethical eggs but I think eating a chicken's period is really gross. I also think eating a corpse is really gross...but each to their own. I don't go around telling people this (my opinions) unless they ask in a calm, open minded way. If someone asks and I can tell they are just picking a fight, or they're not open minded, I don't go into my motivation. Really not worth it.

I have a lot of, well respect isn't the right word, but its something a little like that, for people who are aware of the animals conditions, accept that they don't value the animal's life that much, but due to the conditions choose to buy local, organic or otherwise meat where they know it has had good conditions, a good, calm death.

I have never had "difficulty" in keeping to this diet even when living with meat eaters but I think taking steps towards organic, local and more moral standards is an admirable thing to do, if vegetarian is too difficult for you. I don't hold others to my standard, so I really thinking taking any step, no matter how small, towards the welfare of animals, and the environment are good - where as others think you should go "all the way", I think steps are good as well.

Moral question for other vegetarians... and this is one I have problems on. Leather. Morally I am against it, for some reason not to the same extent as meat because I feel eating is much more of a waste where as leather can have an appreciated value, even so I don't feel its quite right. But anyway, how do you feel about it? How do you, if you do, avoid leather in the horse world? Because there are no boots that aren't leather, even non-horse shoes I have difficulty finding non-leather and often I can't and I buy leather, and feel guilty. Things like bridles, I find the synthetic ones are just so crappy I just end up buying a leather one and take care if so it lasts but still...

How does everyone else feel about that?

With meat too, I think western societies consume WAY too much these days. Even from an environmental standpoint, without the morals.

I'm a vegetarian! And I don't care what anyone says - meat is NOT good for you. Unless you consider obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, alzheimers, etc to be good.

Actually it's a good source of protein and iron. Though red meat should not be eaten excessively, a serving of it a day isn't bad for you when prepared properly. You need protein to support muscle mass, support stomach enzymes, and grow healthy skin (including hair/nails.) Although protein can be gained from nuts and beans, many people do choose to get it from animal byproduct. Meat has many other health benefits when fed properly, but I only named the ones I know of off hand So you can't really say it's bad for you, because eating ANYTHING past good moderation is bad for you.

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